A typical hard disk includes at least one boot record area and a data area for storing data. For example, on a non-partitioned hard disk, the first sector typically stores a master boot record which contains code for booting an operating system. As another example, on a partitioned hard disk, the first sector of the entire hard disk device typically stores a master boot record and the first sector of each partition typically stores a volume boot record which contains code for booting programs contained in that partition.
A conventional backup system can routinely back up information from the data area of the hard disk. As a result, if the hard disk subsequently loses the information (e.g., due to a failure of the hard disk, due to inadvertent user error, etc.), the information can be recovered from the backup system.
Some conventional backup systems incrementally operate over the Internet. For example, as the information within the data area of a hard disk changes over time, a conventional backup system can incrementally backup the changed information within the data area (e.g., new and changed files which have date stamps which are more recent than the date stamp of the last backup) to a backup site over the Internet.